1. What is Body Surface Area (BSA)?

Definition: BSA is the calculated surface area of a human body, often used in medical calculations.

Purpose: It helps healthcare professionals determine proper medication dosages, chemotherapy treatments, and other medical parameters.

2. How Does the BSA Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Mosteller formula:

Where:

• \( BSA \) — Body Surface Area (square meters)
• \( W \) — Weight (kilograms)
• \( H \) — Height (centimeters)

Explanation: The product of weight and height is divided by 3600, then the square root is taken to get the BSA in m².

3. Importance of BSA Calculation

Details: Accurate BSA calculation is crucial for proper drug dosing, especially for medications with narrow therapeutic windows.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the patient's weight in kilograms and height in centimeters. Both values must be > 0.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why is BSA used instead of weight alone?
A: BSA better correlates with metabolic processes and drug distribution than weight alone.

Q2: What's the average BSA for adults?
A: The average BSA is about 1.7 m² for adult men and 1.6 m² for adult women.

Q3: Are there other BSA formulas?
A: Yes, including DuBois, Haycock, and Gehan-George formulas, but Mosteller is most common.

Q4: How accurate is this calculation?
A: It's clinically acceptable for most purposes, though individual variations exist.

Q5: Can this be used for children?
A: Yes, the Mosteller formula is appropriate for all ages.